Austin Named Fastest-Growing US City

Once again, Austin tops the list of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 21,000 people moved to Austin between July 2012 and 2013. That puts Austin as the city with the highest population growth for cities with a population of less than one million. This number also awards Austin the number six spot for overall population growth in the country. Austin wasn’t the only Texas city to make the list, however. Houston took the number 2 spot for overall population growth, right behind New York City. San Antonio ranked at number 4, followed by Dallas at number 10 and Fort Worth at number 13.

Austin suburbs also ranked among the top fifteen cities with populations over 50,000. San Marcos took the number one spot with an 8% population growth between July 2012 and 2013. Cedar Park followed at number 4 with a 5.6% population growth. Georgetown ranked as number 7 on the list with a 4.5% population growth. Four other Texas cities rounded out the list, which makes Texas the state with the most cities on the list of booming population growth. The high number of people moving to the state has shown the rest of the country that Texas is definitely the place to be.

So what’s attracting new residents to the Austin area? The city’s low unemployment rate and plethora of jobs is the number one factor. About 200 companies have opened offices in the Austin area in the last two years, most of which are in the fast-growing tech sector. Austin’s low business regulations and low tax rate have also encouraged more small businesses to set up shop in the area. Painful daily traffic and rising home prices are two factors working against the city, however. These headaches have prompted more residents to move to the outer cities of Georgetown, Cedar Park and San Marcos. Wherever new residents decide to reside in Austin, the city is still on track to reach a population of over 900,000 in the next year. If you’re interested in homes for sale in any of these cities, check out our neighborhood profiles for Georgetown, Cedar Park, Buda and Kyle.